This invention relates to the art of providing elevated stations for hunters, bird watchers and the like, and has particular relationship to portable facilities enabling the hunter or bird watcher to set the station at a site, at an elevation and in a position which he regards as most suitable to serve his purposes. Sirls' U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,762 is typical of the prior art. Such prior-art apparatus includes a chair connected to a hoist having handles which the hunter operates to raise the chair. One disadvantage of Sirls is that it is difficult to operate when it is necessary to push the handles upwardly or horizontally through their highest and lowest positions. Another disadvantage of Sirls is that the hoist includes a ratchet mechanism for latching the chair in any position. To lower the chair, the hunter releases the dog of the ratchet and lowers himself on the chair. To hold the dog in released position while lowering oneself is a difficult and awkward task. In addition, the hunter could inadvertently release the handles of the hoist, or have them slip from his hands, and fall and injure himself.
It is an object of this invention to overcome the above-described disadvantages, and to provide portable apparatus for establishing an elevated station which shall be readily raised to any desired elevation by the operator, and readily lowered from this elevation and which during raising and lowering shall automatically secure the operator against falling. It is another object of this invention to provide such apparatus having facilities for securely holding the platform in any position to which it is raised. It is also an object of this invention to provide a hoist which, while uniquely suitable for portable apparatus for providing an elevated hunter's or bird watcher's station, has other purposes.